Railway signal apparatus.



No. 890,094. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

' 0. A. PITTS..

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.- 'APPLIGATION 311.111) 6.19.1907.

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c. A. PITTS. v RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG-.19. 1907.

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CHARLES A. PITTS, OF OALLAHAN, CALIFORNIA.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed August 19, 1907. Serial No. 389,230.

b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. PiTTs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Callahan, in the county of Siskiyou and State of California, have invented a new and useful Railway Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in railway signal apparatus, and is designed to provide means for transmitting signals denoting the passage of trains by predetermined points along the line of way.

The invention consists essentially in a trip alongside of a rail to be operated by a projecting structure on a passing locomotive or portion of a train, which trip is connected to a power-storing means such as a spring or weight which may be wound up or elevated, and means under the control of the spring or weight for setting in motion a mechanism arranged to send signals by telegraphic code or impulses which may be electrically transmitted to produce audible signals at some central or predetermined point.

The invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a track section showing thearrangement of the trip mechanism; Fig. 2 is a cross section of the track, showing the trip mechanism with a signal producing mechanism located on a telegraph pole at the side of the right-of-way; Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the signal mechanism located on the ground alongside of the track; Fig. 4 is a view of a mechanism which may be employed for sending audible signals; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mechanism used for producing the signals; and Fig. 6 is a side view, partly in section and with parts broken away and omitted, of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a section of track composed of-rails 1, of usual character, mounted upon ties 2 in the usual manner. Alongside of each rail at a. predetermined point is secured a bell-crank lever 3-having its'two arms 4 and 5 in different horizontal planes and having the arm 5 provided with a linger 6 extending upward therefrom at right angles and adjacent to the tread of the respective rail 1. This bellcrank lever is under the control of a spring 7 so arranged as to maintain the arm '5 normally in a position tending toward an approaching car.

Upon the locomotive or any suitable portion of the train is a depending arm 8, the lower end of which is close to the rail 1 and is provided with a side extension 9 arranged to engage the finger 6 of the bell-crank lever 3 when a train passes the latter. The bellcrank lever 3 is connected to a cord, wire, or rod 10 extending to a signal producing apparatus which, in Fig. 2, is indicated at 11 near the top of a telegraph pole 12, the cord or wire 10 passing over a pulley 13 suitably mounted to direct the said cord to the box 11. This cord 10 extends from the bell crank lever 3 adjacent to thesignal device 1 1, while the other bell-crank lever on the other side of the track is connected by another cord 14, passing over suitable pulleys 15, down under the track and across the same, so as to connect with the cord 10. In Fig. 3 the signal device 11 is shown located at one side of the track, while the electric conduc-- tors 16, to be hereinafter referred to, serve to convey electrical impulses from the signal producing device to a distant point, and are shown as leading from the signal producing mechanism, indicated at 11, to the crossbeam of a telegraph pole 12.

Referring now, to Figs. 5 and 6, it may be noted that the cord 10 after entering the box inclosing the signaling mechanism is con nected to the free end of an arm 17 mounted to turn freely upon a shaft 18 supported in suitable bearings 19. The arm 17 is continued to the other side of the shaft 18 and there carries an adjustable weight 20. In the structure shown in Fig. 6, the cord 10 is passed under a pulley 21 and its course diverted thereby, so that while the main body of the cord moves horizontally, the arm 17 is pulled by this cord in a downward direction, thus causing the elevation of the weight 20 around the shaft 18 as a pivot.

Fast upon the shaft 18 there is a ratchet wheel 22, engaging with the teeth of which there is a pawl 23 controlled by a spring 24 and 'pivotally mounted upon the weightcarrying end of the arm 17. Now, when a bell-crank lever 3 is moved by the passage of a train the cord 10 is pulled for a distance sufficient to cause the movement of the weight 20 through a considerable arc, and thereby moves the ratchet wheel 22 correspondingly, the return movement of the ratchet wheel being prevented by a backstop pawl 23.

Mounted to turn upon the shaft 18 there is a large gear wheel 25 carrying a spring case 24 in which is housed a spring 25. One end of the spring is connected to the gear wheel 25 by the casing and the other end of the spring is connected to the shaft 18. At diametrically opposite points the gear wheel 25 engages pinions 26 and 27. The pinion 27 is mounted upon a shaft 28, suitably journaled in the supports 19, and this shaft 28 carries a disk 29 on the periphery of which are studs 30 of suitable size and space disposition to conform to a Morse telegraphic code or some other code. In the path of the studs 30 is arranged a tooth 31 on the free end ofaspring arm 32, and the latter has in its path another spring arm 33. The two arms 32 and 33 constitute the terminals of an electric circuit, of which the conductors 16, heretofore referred to, form a part. This circuit includes a suitable source of electric current, such, for instance, as a battery 34, which latter may be located at any convenient point, and in this circuit will be included at the central station or some other predetermined point a register or telegraphic sounder, or both.

Now, assuming that a train has passed and caused the elevation of the weighted end 20 .of the arm 17, it will be seen that the ratchet wheel will be rotated by the pawl 23 and, through the shaft 18, will wind up the spring 25. When the cord 10 has been relieved from the stress of the passing train the weight 20 will return the arm to normal position. The spring 25, however, will un wind and drive the gear wheel 25 ina direction to rotate the disk 29 and cause the studs 30 to pass over the finger 31 and depress the arm 32 into contact with the arm 33 a number of times and for such time periodsas may agree with the code signal to be sent. The train will thus automatically register its passage by the point where the signal device is located, and as these signal devices will be located at suitable points along the railroad, the progress of a train can be followed without effort.

Now, it is not desirable that the signals should be sent too rapidly, so the device is provided with a regulating apparatus which will cause the spring to act sluggishly upon the mechanism and thus retard its rotation and cause it to move slowly. For this purpose, the pinion 26 is mounted on a shaft 35, andthis shaft carries a wheel 36 upon the periphery of which are equally spaced, rotary, projecting pins 37. Suitably mounted in relation to the wheel 36 is a horizontal shaft 38 carrying a pendulum 39 having an adjustable weight 39 and two dogs 40 suitably shaped and spaced to alternately engage the pins 37 as the shaft 38 rocks. This structure acts in the nature of an ordinary clock-train with the pins 37 alternately en gaging and escaping from the dogs 40 and causing the pendulum shaft 38 to rock on its aXis. The movement of the gear train is thus retarded and steadied, so that the signals are sent with deliberation and regularity under the action of the spring 25.

In Fig. 4 is shown a structure which may be used in place of the disk 29 and its studs 30, which latter are arranged according to the Morse code, or, if desired, the structure of Fig. 4 may be used in addition to the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6. For this purpose the disk 29, which, if desired, may be a spider with a solid arm as shown in Fig. 4, is provided with a number of pins 41 in the path of which is a lever 42 controlled by a spring 43, and this lever is arranged to engage a spring arm 44 having its free end constructed to make electrical. contact with another spring arm 45, the said arms 44 and 45 constituting the terminals of a circuit including the conductors 16 and battery 34. In this structure the electric circuit will include an audible signal of some character, such, for instance, as a bell, and the pins 41 will be of suitable number to give the number of strokes of the bell which may be determined upon to indicate the particular point passed by the train.

It is sometimes desirable that both the telegraphic code signals and the audible signal should be sent at the same time, in which case the pins 41 and the parts operated thereby will be controlled by the disk 29 which controls the studs 30 and the contact terminals 32 and 33.

I claim I 1. In a railway signal apparatus, a 1novable member located at one side of the railway track, a traveling member carried upon a train and designed to operate the movable member, a power-storing means, connections between the movable member and the powerstoring means, operated by the engagement of the train member with the movable member located at the side of the railway track, an electric circuit extending to a distant point, a circuit making and breaking mechanism arranged to give a predetermined code signal, and means for coupling the powerstoring mechanism to the signal-transmitting mechanism for operation of the latter by the return of the power-storing mechanism to its initial position.

2. In a railway signal apparatus, a signaltransmitting means comprising a powerstoring device actuated by a passing train, a circuit closer controlled by said power-storing device for transmitting electric impulses representing code signals over a suitable electric circuit, and a retarding device for regulating the speed of action of the power-storing device, said retarding device having a uniform action of retardatlon throughout the entire range of active movement of the said powerstoring device.

3. In a railway signal apparatus, a powerstoring device, means located along the side of the railway track and connected to the power-storing device for the actuation of the latter by a passing train, means for restoring the train-actuated connections to normal position, means for transmitting electric impulses representing code signals over a suitable electric circuit under the control of the power storing device, and a retarder having a uniform action of retardation on saidpowerstoring device throughout the entire range of the active movement of the latter.

l. In a railway signal apparatus, a weighted arm actuated by the passage of a railway train, a gear wheel, a pawl-and-ratchet connection between the weighted arm and gear wheel active in one direction only, a signaltransmitting wheel geared to the gear wheel, electric circuit terminals in the path of the signal-transmitting wheel, another wheel coupled to the gear wheel and provi dedgwith radially projecting pins, and a pendulum escapement for said last-named wheel.

5. In a railway signal apparatus, a weighted arm, connections between the same and trip mechanism adjacent to the railway track, a gear wheel, a pawl-andratchet connection between the weighted arm and the gear wheel, active in one direction only, a signal disk, circuit terminals adjacent to said signal disk, means on said signal disk for closing the circuit terminals a predetermined number of times in succession, and a governor device comprising a wheel geared to the gear wheel and provided with radially projecting pins or teeth, and a pendulum escapement therefor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. PITTS.

IVitnesses CHARLES SHORT, T. W. TRACEY. 

